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Universal Healthcare

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National healthcare has been a debate for many years. Several countries provide healthcare for their population. There have been attempts in the US to emulate this program. Several presidents have tried this, but all failed. Recently, President Obama was able to get a bill through a bi-partisan congress requiring all US residents to have some sort of healthcare. While this is not a single payer plan, it can be viewed as a step in the right direction. There were millions in the US without access to affordable care, and now they can at least get a plan that covers basic healthcare. As the years have gone by there have been issues with the program, and how it was implemented. Healthcare is something all should have access to, but the government …show more content…
They developed Medicaid and Medicare to cover those in need of care. Medicare is the federal program designed to provide healthcare to the population over 65, and people with disabilities. Medicaid is the state and federal program providing those with low incomes access to care. There are so many issues with these two programs that they have become unmanageable and need overhaul. According to Kotlikoff, L. J. (2007) “The history of federal spending on Medicare and Medicaid spending on the elderly can best be described as reckless child endangerment. For over four decades, one administration after another has permitted these programs to grow much more rapidly than the economy, while financing the growth on a pay and receive basis – with the young paying and the old receiving.” (p. 17) While both of these plans still exist, they do not effectively address the need for more standardized care. The government continually tries to band aid the problem, and not address the real …show more content…
The ACA was signed into law on March 23rd, 2010. It put in to place a comprehensive set of healthcare reforms that put the consumer back in charge of their healthcare. Over the last five to six years the law has proven to make healthcare more available and affordable to those that went without previously. Uninsured Americans can now have access to a plan that covers care for themselves and their families. The new law has many pieces to it, and has been phased in over the last several years. The website https://www.hhs.gov outlined the following “In 2010, the patients’ bill of rights was introduced to protect the people from insurance company abuse. In 2011, those with Medicare get preventative services for free and a 50% discount on drugs. In 2012, Accountable Care Organizations (ACO’s) help doctors and other providers deliver better care. 2013 brought open enrollment in the health insurance market place on October 1st. In 2014, millions of people had access to affordable care, and the ability to compare plans for the first time was available for everyone. Finally, in 2015 a provision of the law was enacted to pay doctors based on the quality of care, and not the quantity of care forcing doctors to be more accountable for the first time in history.” Overall, this plan seems like it is working, but there are people out there that do

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